HTTP Basics for Beginners

2023/06/22

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HTTP, or Hypertext Transfer Protocol, is a protocol used to facilitate communication between computers over the internet. In this article, we'll explore the basics of HTTP, including key concepts and inner workings, and provide examples and illustrations along the way.

To start, HTTP is a stateless protocol, meaning each request-response cycle is independent and lacks inherent memory. To maintain user sessions and stateful interactions, HTTP utilizes cookies. Cookies are small pieces of data stored on the client's side, which the server can access and modify during subsequent requests, enabling personalized and dynamic web experiences.

When a user types a URL into their browser, such as https://twitter.com/, the browser sends an HTTP request to the web server hosting the website. The server responds with an HTTP response, which includes the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code needed to render the webpage.

HTTP requests and responses can also include headers, which provide additional information about the request or response. For example, the Content-Type header specifies the type of data being sent, such as text or JSON.

Developers working with HTTP should also be familiar with HTTP methods, such as GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. These methods define the type of action being performed on the resource requested by the client.

Overall, understanding the basics of HTTP is essential for developers working with web applications and REST APIs. By knowing how HTTP operates, developers can build more efficient and secure web applications.